Sunday, June 24, 2007

Quote Of The Day: Adios Edition

“I'm not even some … kind of big criminal. I haven't killed anybody.”-- Luis Angel Marcial

Luis Angel Marcial is no angel. He uttered those words as ICE agents pushed him into a van early yesterday morning in Santa Ana.

He had been convicted of dealing drugs in 2004, was deported this year (why did it take so long?) and came right back. He was one of 175 similar "targets" -- illegals who have court orders to leave the country but are here nonetheless -- busted by ICE agents in 13 cities across the country in the last few days, according to the OC Register.

Marcial doesn't get it. Dealing drugs makes him a big-time criminal, as does disobeying a court order. You don't have to be a murderer to be unwelcome in El Norte. Adios, Bud. Don't come back.

The raid was a fine thing, but it's still a laughable excuse for enforcement, as the Reg points out:

Of the 175 people arrested, 27 had criminal records and 26 had court orders to leave the country, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Others were illegal immigrants with no law-enforcement record who were picked up after agents checked for identification on the house visits.

A coordinated national effort turned up a couple dozen bad guys and another 150 who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. That's a pathetic yield.

I believe the immigration issue is readily solved with a three-point plan: Secure the borders, create an intelligent legal immigration system, and never stop tightening the screws on those who are here illegally, so they finally pack up and go home.

These raids show we got a lot of work to do on that last leg -- but even so, it's the most developed of the three. And we're dependent on the Congress and the federal government to make it better.

"Thank you for the "Voice of the Victims films. The students really liked them, and it means so much to them to hear real stories and not watch a cheesy drama like so many other videos."
— High school teacher.